Spalax

Spalax
Greater blind mole-rat (S. microphthalmus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Spalacidae
Subfamily:	Spalacinae
Genus:	Spalax Güldenstädt, 1770
Type species
Spalax microphthalmus Güldenstädt, 1770
Species
Spalax antiquus Spalax arenarius Spalax giganteus Spalax graecus Spalax istricus Spalax microphthalmus Spalax uralensis Spalax zemni

Spalax is a genus of rodent in the family Spalacidae, subfamily Spalacinae (blind mole-rats). It is one of two extant genera in the subfamily Spalacinae, alongside Nannospalax.

Species in this genus are found in Eastern Europe and Western & Central Asia. They are completely blind and have a subterranean lifestyle.

Taxonomy

Prior to 2013, Spalax was widely considered the only member of Spalacinae, with all blind mole-rat species being grouped within it. However, phylogenetic and morphological evidence supported some of the species within it forming a distinct lineage that diverged from the others during the Late Miocene, when a marine barrier formed between Anatolia and the Balkans. These species were reclassified into the genus Nannospalax, making Spalax one of two extant spalacine genera.

Species

• Mehely's blind mole-rat, S. antiquus
• Sandy blind mole-rat, S. arenarius
• Giant blind mole-rat, S. giganteus
• Bukovina blind mole-rat, S. graecus
• Oltenia blind mole-rat, S. istricus (possibly extinct)
• Greater blind mole-rat, S. microphthalmus
• Kazakhstan blind mole-rat, S. uralensis
• Podolsk blind mole-rat, S. zemni

References

Further reading

• Jansa, S. A.; Weksler, M. (2004). "Phylogeny of muroid rodents: relationships within and among major lineages as determined by IRBP gene sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31 (1): 256–76. Bibcode:2004MolPE..31..256J. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.07.002. PMID 15019624.
• Michaux, J.; Reyes, A.; Catzeflis, F. (2001). "Evolutionary history of the most speciose mammals: molecular phylogeny of muroid rodents". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 18 (11): 2017–2031. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003743. PMID 11606698.
• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea." pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D. E. and D. M. Reeder, eds. Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Norris, R. W.; Zhou, K. Y.; Zhou, C. Q.; Yang, G.; Kilpatrick, C. W.; Honeycutt, R. L. (2004). "The phylogenetic position of the zokors (Myospalacinae) and comments on the families of muroids (Rodentia)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31 (3): 972–978. Bibcode:2004MolPE..31..972N. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.10.020. PMID 15120394.
• Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World, II. London: Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8
• Steppan, S. J.; Adkins, R. A.; Anderson, J. (2004). "Phylogeny and divergence date estimates of rapid radiations in muroid rodents based on multiple nuclear genes". Systematic Biology. 53 (4): 533–553. doi:10.1080/10635150490468701. PMID 15371245.
• Topachevskii, V. A. (1976) Fauna of the USSR. Volume III: Mammals. Issue 3: Mole rats, Spalacidae. New Delhi: Amerind.
• Manov, Irena; Hirsh, Mark; Iancu, Theodore C; Malik, Assaf; Sotnichenko, Nick; Band, Mark; Avivi, Aaron; Shams, Imad (2013). "Pronounced cancer resistance in a subterranean rodent, the blind mole-rat, Spalax: in vivo and in vitro evidence". BMC Biology. 11: 91. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-11-91. PMC 3750378. PMID 23937926.